The Western Star. (PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1889.

Western Star, Issue 1385, 31 August 1889, Page 2

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1889.

The Otago Daily Times, of Moaday, says :—" It is pleasing to hear that Mr Hannay has come down to Otago to attend to the general complaints and inadequacy of the railway arrangements between Invercargill and Dunedin. Nothing can be more provoking than the deliberate dawdling at station after station along this line. No less than nine hours are taken up in travelling 140 miles by what is ironically termed the Southern express. It should surely be possible for the train to leave either end at half-past ten, and reach its destination at 5 or halfpast .without any great increase of expenditure. This will only mean an average speed of 20 miles an hour or three miles an hour less than the present Northern express. Everyone who has travelled on the Southern express will admit the justice of our contemporary's remarks. The rate of speed might easily be accelerated to 20 miles an hour which, at least, should be the minimum rate for an express.' There is not the slightest necessity for the train to pull up at one-half of the stations where time is now put off, and at the more important stations the stoppage time might be curtailed without any inconvenience to the travelling public. The alterations in the running of the Northern express (between Dunedin and Christchurch), although not acceptable to all, has given satis faction to most, but the different interests that had to be studied on that line are wanting on the Dunedin-Tnvercar-gill section and we are quite sure any alterations nwle lessening the time occupied in compassing the distance would be hailed with satisfaction by all whose business necessitates them travelling between the two place?. Another thing, the traffic on the Southern express is even greater than between Dunedin and Christchurch, and the people at this end have a right to have their interests studied to at least some small extent. But if theri is reason to complain of the t : me occupied in fhe journey r-efcween InverciviTili and Dunedin the s friers of the "Western TMgtrict hnve evcy cause ta cry out at slowness o p the train services <"n the Inv?r-earffill-Orepukt line. "When src'ng to Dunedin a person does not mind very much nutting in an extr.i. hour or rp, but it is a different tbirg on shorter distances, and when wishing to go to the Southland .c*oital to transact business it seems sheer waste of time 'o, for instance, hive to remain in thp train for 2 hours and" 10 minutes while compassing the distance 26 mile?, between Riverton and Invercnrgill We trust Mr Hannay, when in these art«, will give this matter his attention.